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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1994)
NU swimmer sets sights on tide By Andrew Strnad Staff Reporter The Nebraska men’s swimming team is taking aim at its 16th straight Big Eight championship. And if Justin Finney has any say in the matter, the Cornhuskers arc on the right track for another title. The Huskers are returning 20 letter winners from last year’s team, including conference cham pions in four events. One Husker that is looking to lead Nebraska to the promised land is Finney, a six time Big Eight champion. The junior from Quebec, who was an All-American as a fresh man in the 100-yard butterfly, ex pects to reach that level again this year. “My goal this year is to not only win the Big Eight,” he said, “but to also become an All-American.” Finney set the Big Eight record in the 100 butterfly at 48.03 sec onds as a freshman and won three Big Eight titles. “I didn't expect to be an All American as a freshman,” he said. “I was too busy adjusting from meters to yards.” “My goal this year is to not only win the Big Eight hut to also become an All-American. ” ■ . JUSTIN FINNEY Nebraska swimmer But Finney has made the adjust ment. This year Finney is competing in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly events, as well as several relays. And Finney said there was no reason why Nebraska couldn’t win another Big Eight title. As a team, Nebraska is as talented as any, he said. “Our recruiting here is just great,” he said. “We have freshmen that come in here and win Big Eight championships.” But Finney said a lot of credit should go to Coach Cal Bentz, who has coached the Huskcrs to all 15 consecutive conference titles. “Coach Bentz is a great moti vator,” he said. “He’s just incred ible.” Finney expects the team to be in peak form for the Big Eight Championships in late February. Until then, the Buskers’ season continues this weekend at the USS Nebraska Winter Classic at the Bob Devaney Sports Center pool. The spring semester begins on Jan. 9, and the men’s swimming team will compete in four dual meets in nine days in January. The Huskcrs begin their run with a home meet against Arizona State on Jan. 13. Finney said Kansas was the only possible team that could stand between Nebraska and another Big Eight title. “Kansas has a good team, but they don’t have as many great swimmers as we do.” Safety said the issue in locker room change By Andrew Stmad Staff Reporter Nebraska is currently 1 1/2-point underdogs to Miami, which will be playing on its home field for the 61 st Orange Bowl Classic. And days after deciding to let Ne braska dress in the home locker room at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, the Orange Bowl officials have changed their minds. Steve Pederson, Nebraska’s asso ciate athletic director for football op erations, said bowl officials contacted Nebraska on Thursday to tell Ne braska that the Comhuskers would be assigned to the smaller, visitors’ locker room. Pederson said Nebraska never had been offered a choice of locker rooms prior to this year. “We chose the larger locker room so we could have more space,” Pederson said. Miami, whose regular-season locker room has been assigned to Florida State in each of the last two Orange Bowls, will use the larger locker room this year. “They called today and said it was better if we were in the smaller locker room,” Pederson said. “They said they were concerned with our safety.” Pederson said the bowl officials didn’t specify exactly how Nebraska would be in danger by dressing in the home locker room. Senior Reporter Mitch Sherman also contributed to this report. Wiegert wins Oudand From Staff Reports Nebraska lineman Zach Wiegert Thursday night was awarded the Outland Trophy, given annually to the nation’s top interior lineman. Wiegert’s award gives Nebraska the distinction of having won the award seven times, more than any other school in the country Wiegert, a 6-foot-5-inch senior offensive tackle from Fremont, is also a first-team All-American. Wiegert’s companion at the other tackle spot, Rob Zatcchka, won the Honda Scholar-Athlete award. PRECISION'S 2115 0 St 476-3044 EVERYTHING is on Sale! SALE December 9-11 We GOT Style! Check it out! Collegiate Beach Club A Division of Holiday Express NON-STOP PARTY CHARTERS SPRING BREAK '95 Cancun from $499 1-800-235-TRIP SPRING FEVER $100 p^' 'Friday December 9 ^ 3-5:30 25th Annua! ^ Open House and At Cornerstone 640 N. 16th St. Penn St. excited for big crowd By Mitch Sherman Senior Reporter Penn State volleyball coach Russ Rose said his attitude heading into a match might not be too imaginativ e, but it had been successful. “It s really not who you play,” Rose said. “It’s how you play.” Rose, a former Nebraska assis tant, leads the 29 3 Nittany Lions into the Mideast Regional semifi nal match of the NCAA tourna meni on rriaay Rose night at the NU Coliseum against 33-3 Notre Dame. Penn Stale, which is ranked No. 5, has lost only to Ohio State twice and Michigan once this year. The Nitlany Lions advanced to the re gional semifinal by virtue of their three-game victory over Ball State last week. “All four teams (in the regional) have demonstrated that they’ve had some highs,” Rose said. “And, except for Nebraska, they’ve all shown they have some weaknesses. The other three teams have had some real glar ing weaknesses that other teams have displayed at times.” A year ago, the Nittany Lions ad vanced to the championship match of the NCAA tournament, losing to Long Beach Stale. In last year’s Midcast regional, two of this year’s participants joined Penn Stale. Colorado, which will play Nebraska before the Penn State-Notrc Dame match on Friday, fell to the Nittany Lions in a regional semifi nal last year. In the regional final, Penn State swept Notre Dame, making it the sec ond consecutive year the Lions ended Notre Dame’s season. Rose, who has been awarded the Volleyball Monthly national coach of-the-ycar award in two of the last five seasons, said it would be diifi cull to beat Notre Dame in three straight tournaments. “It’s not a match where you spend a lot of time preparing for what the other team is going to do,” said Rose, who owns a 528-105 record in 16 seasons at Penn State. “It’s a match where you hope your players play well, and you hope the other team plays well. You have an opportunity to put on a good show for certainly one of the bright spots “And, except for Nebraska, they've all shown they have some weaknesses. Vie other three teams have had some real glaring weaknesses that other teams have displayed at times. ” RUSS ROSE Penn State volleyball coach of volleyball in this country.” Playing before a large crowd is something the Nittany Lion players enjoy, Rose said. A sold-out Coliseum is expected for Friday’s early match between Nebraska and Colorado. Rose said he hoped the fans stayed to watch Penn State and Notre Dame play. “We have had some great matches in front of big crowds,” he said. Notre Dame set to turn tables By Trevor Parks Staff Reporter The Notre Dame volleyball team knows what it feels like to be elimi nated from the NCAA tournament. This year, 33-3 Notre Dame has a chance to give that feeling to 29-3 Penn State when the two teams meet in an 8 p.m. regional semifinal match tonight at the NU Coliseum. “We’re defi nitely looking forward to play ing them,” Notre Dame coach Debbie Brown said. “It is some im, thing that we feel like we would like to turn the table a little bit.” The Fighting Irish lost to Penn State 15-12, 15-5, 15-12 in the NCAA Mideast Regional last season. The year before, the Nittany Li ons defeated Notre Dame 15-13, 15 8, 15-9 in the first round of the NCAA tournament at University Park, Pa. Brown said she hoped her team could use the two losses to its advan tage. ‘It’s definitely a friendly rivalry,’ “We’d really like to upset (Penn State) and send them home, instead of the reverse as it has been in the past. ” ■ NICOLE COATES Notre Dame outside hitter Brown said. “We hope we make il much more competitive than we have the last few years.” Senior Nicole Coates said Notre Dame was looking forward to gain ing revenge on the Nittany Lions. “It’s a good source of motivation,” Coates said. “We’d really like to up set them and send them home, instead of the reverse as it has been in the past.” l he righting Irish have had a suc cessful season and shouldn’t have any problems getting ready for the Nittany Lions, Coates said. She and Christy Peters are the only seniors on the team. “At this stage of the game, I think any team that is playing will be highly motivated,” she said. Also at this point, the Fighting Irish must be concerned with where they are playing. Notre Dame has a 16-3 record outside of South Bend, Ind., includ ing a 5-1 record on neutral courts. Brown said the environment at the NU Coliseum should be a great ex perience for her club. “We’re very excited to play at Ne braska because of the great follow ing of the crowds,” Brown said. “Our team really enjoys playing in front of a large crowd, and that makes the game more exciting.” Brown said Penn State coach Russ Rose would be coaching a Nittany Lion team in regular form tonight. “Russ’ teams are always very con sistent,” Brown said. “They make very few errors, and they are not go ing to beat themselves. We are going to have to go out and play our best ”